For 20+ years, KOSMODISK® has been a leading brand in helping European men and women overcome spinal problems and/or back pain. Over 2,000,000 people worldwide have been helped by the many Kosmodisk products available to the general public.

Facts and figures about back care

Key facts

Nearly 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point during their lives.

Although in most cases back pain is nothing serious and recovers spontaneously, the sheer number of people affected makes it a very costly condition with considerable burden to the individual and society.

Simple measures can be taken to reduce the chances of developing back pain and to reduce the impact of existing back pain.

Number of people with back pain

In industrialized countries, up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some stage in their life. During any one year, up to half of adult population (15%-49%) will have back pain.

The number of people with back pain increases with advancing age, starting in school going children and peaking in adults of 35 to 55 years of age. Back pain is just as common in adolescents as in adults.

Causes of back pain

In most cases it is very difficult to identify a single cause for back pain. In about 85% of the back pain sufferers no clear pathology can be identified.

Approximately 45% of Americans with chronic neck pain attribute it to a motor vehicle accident. Each year some 3 million whiplash injuries are reported.

Recovery from back pain

Back pain is in most cases a self-limiting condition and 90% of the people with acute back pain will recover within 6 weeks.

Up to 7% of the persons with acute back pain will develop chronic back pain. These chronic patients have considerable discomfort and account for approximately 80% of the social and health care costs.

The costs of back pain

Health care costs for back pain are in total of £1.6 billion per year (hospital costs, consultations for back pain, consultations for back pain).

The total costs of back pain correspond to between 1% and 2% of gross national product (GDP).

Other European countries report similar high costs; back pain related costs in The Netherlands in 1991 were more than 4 billion euro. For Sweden in 1995 this was more than 2 billion euro.

The impact of back pain on the individual

Back pain, in particular persistent back pain (i.e. <3 months), can have a significant impact on people’s lives. It frequently reduces their quality of life and adversely affects their family and social relationships.

The impact of back pain on work and sick leave

Nearly 5 million working days were lost as a result of back pain in 2003-04. This means that on any one day 1% of the working population is on sickness leave due to a back problem.

Back pain is the number 2 reason for long term sickness in much of the UK. In manual labour jobs, back pain is the number one reason.

The treatment of back pain

Nearly 40% of back pain sufferers consulted a GP for help; 10% visited a practitioner of complementary medicine (osteopaths, chiropractors and acupuncturists).

When experiencing back pain it is very important to stay active. Bed rest will only make the pain worse.

Physical exercise can be a very effective method to reduce the pain and discomfort that long-term pain sufferers experience.

Stretching can help you ease a sore back because it elongates muscle tissues, which in turn helps decompress the vertebrae, improve blood flow and increase the delivery of oxygen to the back. Remember to stretch when you wake up, after you've been sitting for awhile and before you start exercising.

Don’t be one of those many people who suffer daily from back pain. Don’t lose working days and spend lots of money for back pain treatment. Don’t let acute pain turn into chronic pain. Stay active and spoil your spine and body with KOSMODISK products. It’s one investment for life!